Notice how the bronzer pans are comprised of two shades, one lighter than the other? Those lighter areas are veins of Radiant Light and Luminous Light Ambient Lighting Powder running through the Bronzer.

Now, the darker areas within each of the pans is the actual bronzer. Hourgless figured out a way to combine warm, golden orange bronzers with cooler, ashier-toned taupes.

Interestingly, though, the warm orangey bronzer is what shows up in swatches, and also when I apply these on my face, which I do with a big fluffy powder blush, which creates that whole sun-kissed, golden bronzed effect I like.

It’s like when I come across something special in a store, like that Peter Som cat dress from Anthropologie, and it feels like the world will crash around me if it doesn’t get in my closet. For me, that’s Hourglass makeup.

Yes, they’re expensive — pretty much the same prices as Chanel and Dior — but there’s something about Hourglass. The simplicity. They don’t have 30 different browns or 20 different red lipsticks, but I’m still always able to find exactly what I’m in the mood to wear. When you wear it, you feel super cool, and your makeup looks good.

I love their textures and the way they elevate basic colors like gold and peach and make them seem so much more elegant and refined, but still accessible at the same time. Sometimes, their new launches are so exciting that they break the Internet (almost).

A lot of the products in my “everyday basics” makeup bag are Hourglass, and here are 10 of the ones I reach for the most…

Wearing the new Hourglass Modernist Eye Shadow Palettes in Color Field and Obscura on my lids, $58 each

Ten-hut! Members of the neutral eyeshadow makeup army, fall in, and salute the newest member of our ranks. Her codename: army green.

Also known as olive, who, I know, you may have seen around base last summer, but she’s also trained as a fully functional neutral, like agents beige, taupe and tan.

Let’s be real. Woman cannot live on brown shadow alone. At some point, even our favorite neutrals, as classic and timeless as they are, need refreshing, and the brass feels that army green eyeshadow is the new way to go.

My favorite army green finishes are satins and shimmers, but I think some of the mattes are beautiful too. But then, some of them (the mattes) also tend to fall a little flat, or end up being difficult to blend. I’m a mattes girl through and through, but gimme a satin or shimmery army green any day of the week.

The trick is finding the right finish for you. In my case, I like shimmers that don’t showcase my fine lines, and I don’t want a formula that’s going to give me any grief (also known as patchiness and fallout), because oy! — I already get enough of that from mah cat.

(Incidentally, he’s been so naughty lately! At night he scratches the stairs, noisily fiddles with cabinets and knocks things off shelves onto the floor.)

The army greens in the new $58 Hourglass Modernest Eyeshadow Palette in Color Field are so my jam.

The new Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Color Field ($58)

One of seven new Hourglass powder eyeshadow quints coming this spring, Color Field has two army greens you need to get on yo’ lids LIKE RIGHT NOW.

The lighter one has golden pearl, and the darker one is richer and filled with flecks of micro golden glitter. Both are so completely forgiving on my lids that they make me feel like 29-year-old Karen, the wee lass she was…

Color Field also contains a matte beige (which is kind of like a powder eyeshadow version of MAC Painterly Paint Pot), a neutral shimmery gold, and a neutral mid-toned tan.

Last weekend Color Field and I had a blast. Picture a draped dress that effortlessly flows in all the right places, and these shadows are like that.

The shades fluidly transition into each other with hardly any fallout and last all day long with primer.

This is the one Fever that you’d actually be stoked to catch. “But Karen,” I can already hear you saying, “I can’t afford to get sick! Between dating Ryan Gosling (hey, a girl can dream) and pet assisting for five cats, I can’t afford time off!”

Not to worry, friend. This isn’t a Fever that’ll leave you in bed, clammy and immobile for 48 hours with sweat between your toes. This is Femme Rouge Lipstick in Fever by Hourglass ($30), a vibrant stop-and-stare fuchsia.

Hourglass Velvet Creme Lipstick in Fever, $30

The long-running Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite permanent collection products from a variety of bodacious beauty brands.

I wore this lipstick in my review of the Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette a while back, and ever since then — kid you not — I get at least one email a week from someone asking about it, and the emails usually start with the words, “I HAVE TO HAVE IT,” or something to that effect.

I totally understand, ’cause the first time I wore the lipstick, I caught it (the Fever). My brow broke out in a cool sweat as I swiped the tube across my lips. I think I may have also experienced a temporarily delirium. Either that, or RyGos really was sitting on my living room couch eating a wedge of gouda…

Hello, gorgeous. Good afternoon. I don’t want to keep you from the fun I hope you’re having (it is Friday, after all), but do you have time for a 2-minute review? I hope so, because this is one I think you’ll like.

Are you ready? OK, I’m turning over the hourglass now…

From the left: Luminous Flush, Incandescent Electra and Mood Exposure

The new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette: 2-minute review

A limited edition palette containing three Hourglass blushes, two of them re-promotes and one brand new blush shade.

Price: $58 US, $67 CDN

Coming October 2014 to Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Sephora and Space NK stores, as well as online to hourglasscosmetics.com.